China finally answers Modi Government’s call for help as the first lot of the 2 million rapid anti-body test kits is delivered today. The government was in desperate need of the test kits as COVID-19 cases are surging in India and increasing the test sample size has become one of the primary requirements to curb the pandemic.
Vikram Misri, Indian ambassador to China tweeted today about the dispatch of 650,000 test kits from Guangzhou Airport, China.
#IndiaFightsCoronavirus A total of 650,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to #India | #2019nCoV #StayHomeSaveLives @MEAIndia @HarshShringla @DrSJaishankar
— Vikram Misri (@VikramMisri) April 16, 2020
The government has identified 170 districts that are witnessing the number of cases double in less than 4 days. Many experts along with Opposition leaders have criticized the government for not testing enough.
“Lockdown is just a pause. The biggest weapon we have against the virus is testing” Rahul Gandhi said in a press conference today at New Delhi.
The rapid anti-body test kits are to be first deployed in that 170 hotspot districts. The government has recognized that lockdown cannot be a long-term solution with the Indian economy on the verge of collapse.
As such the government seems to be shifting towards the strategy of gradual opening up of the lockdown along with heavy testing to tide over the crisis.
